JP2003319472A - Remote operation apparatus and its transmission confirming method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote operation apparatus capable of confirming bi- directional communication between the remote operation apparatus and a controlled apparatus, and to provide its transmission confirming method. <P>SOLUTION: The remote operation apparatus 2 comprises a transmitting section (transmitting means) 23 for transmitting air conditioning management data (setting data) to an air conditioner (controlled apparatus) 1, a sound detecting means (received sound detecting means) 28 for detecting a received sound being sent from the air conditioner 1 in response to reception of the air conditioning management data, and a control section (control means) 22 for confirming transmission of the air conditioning management data in response to a detection signal from the sound detecting means 28. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control device for transmitting setting data such as air conditioning management data to a control device such as an air conditioner and a transmission confirmation method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A remote controller, which is a remote controller, is used for controlling a control device such as an air conditioner. By operating an operating means such as an operation switch provided on the remote controller, an air conditioner is operated. Switching between cooling and heating of the machine,
The control signal according to the air-conditioning management data, which is the setting data such as the air volume and the temperature, is output to the control device provided on the air conditioner main body side.

[0003]

Such a remote control device generally uses infrared communication to control and adjust the air conditioner. The remote control device using the infrared communication system has different directivity according to the surrounding environment in which the remote control device and the air conditioner are installed, and depending on the usage environment, the transmitter and the remote control device may be used. There may be a problem that the air conditioning management data cannot be transferred unless the directions of the air conditioner and the receiving unit of the control device are substantially the same. As a solution to such a problem, there is one in which a remote control device and an air conditioner have a transmission / reception function, and this is because the air conditioning management data transmitted from the remote control device is transmitted by the air conditioner. When received, it is a two-way communication process of transmitting a reception completion signal confirming reception from the air conditioner to the remote operation device, the remote operation device receiving the reception completion signal from the air conditioner. By repeatedly transmitting the air conditioning management data until it is received, infrared communication processing in consideration of directivity is performed.

However, since such a bidirectional communication process requires a transmitter in the control device on the air conditioner side, it is composed of the remote operation device and the air conditioner. There is a problem that the configuration of the air-conditioning management system becomes complicated and the software development of this communication processing becomes complicated, resulting in high product cost.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a remote operation device and a communication confirmation method therefor capable of performing bidirectional communication confirmation processing without complicating the structure. It is provided.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control device including a transmitting means for transmitting setting data to a control device, and receiving the setting data. A reception sound detecting means for detecting a reception sound emitted from the control device according to the above, and a control means for making a transmission confirmation judgment of the setting data according to a detection signal from the reception sound detecting means. It is characterized by.

Further, as described in claim 2, in the remote control device according to claim 1, the received sound detecting means detects an audible sound which is the received sound emitted from the control device, and The control means makes the transmission confirmation determination in response to an input of a detection signal from the received sound detection means after the transmission of the setting data is completed.

Further, as described in claim 3, in the remote control device according to claim 1, the received sound detecting means outputs an audible sound and an inaudible sound which are the received sounds emitted from the control device. In addition to the detection, the control means makes the transmission confirmation determination in response to the input of the detection signal from the received sound detection means after the transmission of the setting data is completed.

Further, as described in claim 4, in the remote control device according to claim 1, the control means does not input the detection signal from the received sound detection means after the transmission of the setting data is completed. In this case, the setting data is transmitted a predetermined number of times.

Further, as described in claim 5, in the remote control device according to claim 2 or 3, the control means determines that the transmission is abnormal in the transmission confirmation determination and issues an alarm signal. It is characterized by that.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the remote control device according to the fifth aspect is provided with an informing means for receiving the alarm signal and informing of an abnormal state. .

Also, in the transmission confirmation method of the remote operation device of the present invention, as described in claim 7, the transmission confirmation method of the remote operation device for transmitting the setting data to the control device and controlling the control device. In the remote control device, the control device side is provided with a sound generation unit for notifying the reception of the setting data, and the remote operation device side is provided with a reception sound detection unit for detecting a reception sound emitted from the sound generation unit. Is
The transmission confirmation determination between the remote operation device and the control device is performed according to whether or not the received sound is detected within a predetermined time from the end of transmission of the setting data.

Further, as described in claim 8, in the transmission confirmation method of the remote control device according to claim 7, first sound generation means for generating an audible sound as the received sound on the control device side. , Or at least one sound generating means of the second sound generating means for generating an inaudible sound which is the received sound, and the remote operation device, within a predetermined time from the end of transmission of the setting data, the sound generating means. According to the presence or absence of the detection of the received sound emitted from, the transmission confirmation determination between the remote control device and the control device is performed.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. A remote control device of the present invention will be described by taking an air conditioning management system including an air conditioner as an example.

1 and 2, an air conditioning management system A is composed of an air conditioner 1 and a remote control device 2.

The air conditioner 1 controls each unit provided in the main body on the basis of air conditioning management data transmitted by infrared communication from a remote control device 2 which will be described later in detail. The air conditioner 1 performs a code analysis on the air conditioning management data received by the receiving unit 11 that receives the air conditioning management data that is an infrared communication signal, and according to the code, the louver angle, the air volume, and the temperature. Control device 12 including a microcomputer for performing various controls such as
20H to notify reception of the air conditioning management data
The buzzer 13 emits a received sound that is an audible sound having a predetermined frequency within the range of z to 20,000 Hz. The control device 12 is electrically connected to a driving means such as a stepping motor for adjusting the louver angle, a heater for adjusting the temperature, and the like so as to be electrically controllable.

The remote control device 2 includes a switch group 21 including a plurality of various operation switches for setting control conditions such as temperature, air volume, wind direction and mode (heating / cooling) switching.
A micro having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output interface, and the like, for generating and transmitting air-conditioning management data, which is transmission data, according to a predetermined input of the switch group 21, and for displaying the air-conditioning management data on a display unit described later. A control unit (control means) 22 including a computer,
A transmission unit 23 including an infrared light emitting element, which transmits the air conditioning management data generated by the control unit 22, and a liquid crystal display which displays the control condition of the air conditioner 1 in response to a predetermined input of the switch group 21 ( LCD 24, etc.
A microphone 25 for detecting a received sound emitted from the buzzer 13 of the air conditioner 1, and an LPF (low pass filter) 2 for detecting the audible sound emitted from the buzzer 13.
6 and an A / D converter 27 for converting an analog signal, which is a detection signal emitted from the LPF 26, into a digital signal. The microphone 25 and the LPF 26 form a sound detecting means (received sound detecting means) 28.

Next, a method for confirming transmission of the air conditioning management data in the remote control device 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

The control unit 22 of the remote control device 2 generates air conditioning management data that can be transmitted by the transmission unit 23 in response to a predetermined input from the switch group 21 (step S1), and transmits this air conditioning management data to the transmission unit 23. (Step S2).

Next, the control unit 22 increments the internal counter n by "+1" to count the number of transmissions (step S3) and detects an audible sound emitted from the buzzer 13 provided in the air conditioner 1. Therefore, the mode shifts to a reception sound reception mode in which reception of reception sound is permitted (step S4).

Next, the controller 22 controls the buzzer 13 within a predetermined time (for example, within 1 second) from the transmission of the air conditioning management data.
It is determined whether or not the audible sound (received sound) emitted from is detectable (step S5). Then, when the detection signal from the sound detecting means 28 is input within a predetermined time (detection of audible sound), the control unit 22 determines that the air conditioning management data has been transmitted to the air conditioner 1 side. , The reception of the received sound is prohibited in order to cancel the received sound reception mode (step S6), "0" is written in the internal counter n, and the internal counter n is reset (step S6).
7) Return to the initial step.

In step S5, when the audible sound cannot be detected within the predetermined time, the control unit 22 transmits the air-conditioning management data a predetermined number of times (for example, the count number n of the internal counter is "= 3"). (Step S8), and if it is determined that the predetermined number of times has not been reached, whether the internal counter reaches the predetermined number of times or the steps S2 to S5 are performed. Repeat until audible sound is detected.

When it is determined in step S8 that the number of transmissions has reached the predetermined number, the control unit 22 determines that the data transmission is abnormal and shifts to the data transmission abnormal mode (step S9), and the display unit 24. At the step S10, a warning indicating a data transmission abnormality is displayed for a predetermined time (step S10), and then the control unit 22 performs a process of resetting the transmission data to restore the contents of the air conditioning management data before the transmission at the step S2 ( At step S11), the process proceeds to step S7 and returns to the initial step. The data transmission abnormal mode in step S9 is canceled by returning to the initial step.

In the reset process of step S10, the control unit 22 resets the internal transmission data and also returns the display data on the display unit 24 to the initial display of the air conditioning management data. Also step S
After the reset processing of 10, the new air conditioning management data is transmitted again after waiting for a predetermined input of the switch group 21.

The remote control device 2 is provided with a transmitter 23 for transmitting the air conditioning management data to the air conditioner 1, and the audible sound emitted from the air conditioner 1 in response to the reception of the air conditioning management data. The sound detecting means 28 for detecting the received sound and the control section 22 for making a transmission confirmation judgment of the air conditioning management data according to the detection signal from the sound detecting means 28 are provided on the air conditioner 1 side. Since the transmission confirmation process can be performed even if the control device is not provided with the transmission unit, the remote control device 2 and the air conditioner 1 can be remotely controlled without complicating the configuration of the air conditioning management system A. The transmission confirmation process can be performed on the operation device 2 side. Further, as compared with a conventional remote control device including a transmitter and a receiver, it is possible to simplify the configuration and software design.

Further, the remote control device 2 detects the audible sound, which is the received sound emitted from the air conditioner 1, by the sound detecting means 28 obtained by the relatively simple structure including the microphone 25 and the low-pass filter 26. Therefore, the product cost is not increased.

Further, the control unit 22 transmits the air conditioning management data a predetermined number of times when the detection signal from the sound detecting means 28 is not input after the transmission of the air conditioning management data is completed, and the control unit 22 transmits it to other communication. It is possible to improve the reliability of communication processing of the remote control device 2 that performs infrared communication having a narrow directivity.

Further, the control unit 22 determines that there is a transmission abnormality in the transmission confirmation determination, issues an alarm signal, and displays the abnormal state on the display unit 24 in response to the alarm signal. It becomes possible for the user to easily know.

Further, in the transmission confirmation method of the remote control device 2 for transmitting the air conditioning management data to the air conditioner 1 and controlling the air conditioner 1, the air conditioner 1 side is notified of the reception of the air conditioning management data. The remote control device 2 includes a buzzer 13 and a sound detection unit 28 that detects a reception sound emitted from the buzzer 13 on the remote control device 2 side. Transmission confirmation judgment between the remote control device 2 and the air conditioner 1 is performed according to the presence / absence of detection, and the buzzer 13 that emits an audible sound that is the received sound on the air conditioner 1 side.
The remote control device 2 is provided between the remote control device 2 and the air conditioner 1 depending on whether or not the received sound emitted from the buzzer 13 is detected within a predetermined time after the end of transmission of the air conditioning management data. Since the transmission confirmation determination is performed, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the sound detecting means 28 is composed of the microphone 25 and the LPF 26, and the received sound which is the audible sound from the buzzer 13 is detected. In the case where the air conditioner 1 side is provided with a buzzer that emits non-audible sound with a frequency of 20,000 Hz or higher, a sound detection unit including an HPF (high-pass filter) that detects the non-audible sound and a microphone It is also possible to use (second received sound detecting means). The present invention also provides two sound detecting means (first and second received sound detecting means) for detecting received sounds of both the audible sound and the non-audible sound.
May be used, and by using the two sound detecting means, it is possible to reduce the influence of frequency noise and improve the detection accuracy.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the remote control device 2 and its transmission confirmation method in the air conditioning management system A have been described as an example, but other remote control devices such as a water heater, a television and a video deck. It is also applicable in.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the abnormal state is informed by the display section 24, but in the present invention, the abnormal state may be informed by using a dedicated buzzer.

[0033]

The present invention relates to a remote operation device for transmitting setting data such as air-conditioning management data to a control device such as an air conditioner and a transmission confirmation method thereof, and to the remote operation device without complicating the configuration. It is possible to perform a bidirectional communication confirmation process with the control device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an air conditioning management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the above air conditioning management system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a transmission confirmation method of the air conditioning pipe system of the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

A air conditioning management system 1 air conditioner 11 Receiver 12 Control device 13 Buzzer (sound generator) 2 Remote control device 21 Switch group 22 Control unit (control means) 23 Transmitter 24 Display unit (informing means) 25 microphone 26 LPF 27 A / D converter 28 sound detection means (reception sound detection means)

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A remote control device, comprising: a transmission means for transmitting setting data to a control device; a reception sound detecting device for detecting a reception sound emitted from the control device in response to reception of the setting data; A remote control device comprising: a control means for making a transmission confirmation judgment of the setting data according to a detection signal from a received sound detection means. 2. The reception sound detection means detects an audible sound which is the reception sound emitted from the control device, and the control means outputs the reception sound from the reception sound detection means after the end of transmission of the setting data. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission confirmation determination is performed according to an input of a detection signal. 3. The reception sound detecting means detects an audible sound and an inaudible sound which are the reception sounds emitted from the control device, and the control means detects the reception sound after the transmission of the setting data is completed. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission confirmation determination is performed in response to an input of a detection signal from the detection means. 4. The control means transmits the setting data a predetermined number of times when the detection signal from the received sound detecting means is not input after the transmission of the setting data is completed. The remote control device according to 1. 5. The remote control device according to claim 2, wherein the control means determines that the transmission is abnormal in the transmission confirmation determination and issues an alarm signal. 6. The remote control device according to claim 5, further comprising notifying means for notifying an abnormal state upon receiving the alarm signal. 7. A method of confirming transmission of a remote control device for transmitting setting data to a control device to control the control device, comprising sound generating means for notifying the control device side of reception of the setting data. The remote operation device side is provided with a reception sound detection means for detecting a reception sound emitted from the sound generation means,
The remote operation device performs transmission confirmation determination between the remote operation device and the control device depending on whether or not the received sound is detected within a predetermined time from the end of transmission of the setting data. Transmission confirmation method of remote control device. 8. The sound generation of at least one of a first sound generating means for emitting an audible sound as the received sound and a second sound generating means for emitting an inaudible sound as the received sound on the control device side. Means for controlling the remote operation device and the control device depending on whether or not the received sound emitted from the sound generating means is detected within a predetermined time from the end of transmission of the setting data. The method for confirming transmission of a remote control device according to claim 7, wherein transmission confirmation determination is performed during the period.